Filed 0st. 11, mm, er. No. 229,931 4 (Claims. (Cl. 1282l4) Our invention relates to devices for use in feeding patients intravenously, or for analogous purposes such as blood transfusions, and more particularly relates to means for stabilizing a hollow needle and flow tube coupled thereto, following application of the same to a patient for such purposes.

Heretofore, the intravenous feeding of patients required that the hollow needle, flow tube and coupling be attached to the patient by adhesive tape. This practice has been conventional procedure for years, and in many instances, has proven unsatisfactory and for various reasons. Some patients are allergic to adhesive tape in contact with their skin. In addition, the use of adhesive tape results in the pressure application of the base of the needle and coupling into the flesh of the patient, which not only may prove uncomfortable, but in some cases, especially those where the patient is elderly, the flesh may become bruised.

Furthermore, in cases where the patient is expiring profusely, such as occasioned by fever, or hot and humid climate, the tape may lose its adhesive grip and fail in its function to maintain the needle, flow tube, and coupling suitably anchored.

Additional diiliculties and problems may be encountered when it comes to the removal of the adhesive tape to permit of the withdrawal of the needle from the vein of the patient. Often this requires the use of a solvent to facilitate the separation of the tape from the skin of the patient.

Among the objects of the present invention are:

(1) To provide novel and improved means for securing a hollow needle and coupled flow tube, to a patient, and stabilizing the same in position after application thereof;

(2) To provide novel and improved means for maintaining a hollow needle in proper attitude when once applied to a patient, whereby the danger of undesirable vein puncture or laceration is essentially avoided;

(3) To provide novel and improved means for inhibiting separation of a flow tube from its coupling to a hollow needle, while such needle remains inserted in the vein of the patient;

(4) To provide novel and improved means for facilitating the application of a needle intravenously and stabilizing the same in position after application.

Additional objects of our invention will be brought out in the following description of a preferred embodiment of the same, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a three dimensional view of our novel and improved stabilizing means, in its preferred form;

FIGURE 2 is a transverse view in section through the device of FIGURE 1 and;

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal view in section taken along the plane 2--2 of FIGURE 2, and depicting a hollow needle and flow tube in association therewith.

Referring to the drawings for details of our invention in its preferred form, the same comprises a cradle 1 of a length sufficient to receive the proximate ends of a hollow needle 3, flow tube 5, and an intermediate coupling 7 which functionally connects such flow tube to the base end 9 of the needle.

The cradle includes a bottom 11, with side walls 13,

3,157,072 Patented Jan. 26., 1965 15 extending upwardly from the bottom in substantially parallel spaced relationship to each other, to form a trough, the spacing between the walls being such as to cause the same to frictionally grip the coupling 7 and the coupled end of the flow tube 5 when the associated elements are disposed in the cradle.

Joining the side walls at the needle end thereof, is an end wall 21. This wall is provided with a needle receiv ing perforation 23 therein, which in turn, is connected to the upper edge of the front wall by a slit 25, to permit pressing of the needle 3 through the upper edge of the front wall to lodge the needle in said perforation.

To support such needle at substantially the desired entrance angle to a vein of the patient, means is provided for elevating the coupled end of the flow tube and coupling, and this may be accomplished in any one of a number of ways, such as by inclining the supporting surface of the bottom of the cradle, or preferably by thickening the portion of the bottom adjacent the open end of the trough, which may be done by providing a transverse rib or two 29 across the floor of the trough at such location.

To facilitate the assembling of the elements in the cradle, following the positioning of the needle in the perforation 2.3, the side walls at the open end of the trough preferably extend upwardly, with the extended portions tapered.

The cradle is applied to the patient either prior to or following the insertion of the needle into the vein. To permit of this operation to be carried out with a minimum of inconvenience and danger to the patient, we provide the cradle with laterally extending flexible tabs 37, 39, one from each side of the cradle adjacent the end wall 21, with each of the tabs having a slot 41 adjacent the end thereof. A strap 43 preferably of elastic material, and of a width to frictionally pass through one of the slots, has each end thereof passing through one of the tabs.

By pressing each tab against the skin of the patient and exerting a pull upon one or both of the exposed ends of the strap, the resulting stretching of the strap material enables the strap to be quickly adjusted, whereby, upon releasing of the strap, the ends thereof will bind in the slots of the tabs and hold the cradle in snug engagement with the patient.

In the subsequent loosening of the strap to remove the cradle, and without undue disturbance of the needle, light pressure may be applied to the cradle, while one or both tabs in succession are raised and the strap end or ends withdrawn sufliciently to permit removal of the cradle and needle as a unit, or one end of the strap may be completely withdrawn to facilitate the removal of the cradle and needle.

The cradle provides large surface area contact with the patient, thus distributing the pressure and avoiding any concentrated areas of pressure, as when, in prior practice, the base end of the needle itself was pressured into flesh of the patient by the adhesive tape. Preferably, the lower surfaces of the tabs should be continuous with the lower surface of the cradle bottom to provide for maximum surface contact with the patient to thereby assure maximum comfort.

Inasmuch as the front wall will act as a stop against forward movement of the needle itself in the cradle, and inasmuch as the grip of the cradle on the coupling and the coupled end of the flow tube will forestall movement of these components in the cradle, it follows that the cradle will maintain the coupled relationship between the needle and the flow tube and assure against any separation of one from the other while in use.

The grip exerted by the side walls 13, 15 upon the coupling 7 and coupled end of the flow tube 5, may, in and of itself, be sufficient to retain the needle and flow tube (.1 property anchored against dislodgrnent, despite movements of the patient, but inasmuch as needles and couplings may vary in construction with the source of manufacture, we prefer to include in the cradle structure, more positive means for securing the assembled components against dislodgement.

Such means may take the form of integral rib 47 extending inwardly from each side Wall adjacent the open end of the trough. By making the trough of plastic, rubber or other material possessing flexibility and resiliency, the coupling 7 and coupled ends of the needle 3 and flow tube 5, following assembling of the needle into the front wall perforation, may be pressed down into the cradle until the aforementioned ribs spring up to partially encircle the coupling and the coupled end of the low tube to provide a positive hold thereon.

Increased flexibility and holding power may be realized by forming the ribs with saw tooth projections Ell, whereby the individual saw teeth may accommodate themselves to any variation in diameter of the portions to be gripped thereby.

It will be apparent from the foregoing, that our invention fulfills its intended objects, and while we have illustrated and described our invention in its preferred form, the same is subject to alteration and modification without departing from the underlying principles involved. Accordingly, we do not desire to be limited in our protection to the preferred form illustrated and described except as may be necessitated by the appended claims.

We claim:

1, A device for stably anchoring a hollow surgical needle and coupled flow tube at the point of application of such needle to a patient, said device comprising a cradle of a length to receive the proximate ends of the components of an assembly including such needle,

tube and any inte "mediate coupling which functionally connects such tube to such needle, said cradle including a bottom, side walls extending upwardly from said bottom in spaced relationship to each other, to form a trough, said spacing being such as to cause said walls to frictionally grip such assembly adjacent the tube end thereof when positioned in said trough with the needle extending from an end of said trough, a wall joining said side walls at one end of said trough to provide an end Wall, said end wall having a needle receiving perforation therein and a slit from the upper edge of said end wall to said perforation to permit depressing of a needle down through the upper edge of said end wall to lodge the same in said perforation, means for supporting such needle in said cradle at substantially the desired entrance angle to a vein of a patient, means adjacent the open end of said trough for at least partially encircling such assembly and resiliently resisting dislocation of such assembly when installed in said trough, and means for adjustably installing said cradle in posi tion on a patient. 2. A device for stably anchoring a hollow surgical needle and coupled flow tube at the point of application of such needle to a patient, said device comprising a cradle of a length to receive the proximate ends of such needle, tube and the intermediate coupling which functionally connects such tube to such needle, said cradle including 7 a bottom,

side walls extending upwardly from said bottom in spaced relationship to each other, to form a trough, said spacing being such as to cause said walls to frictionally grip a needle coupling and proximate tube end when positioned in said trough,

a wall joining said side Walls at one end of said trough to provide an end Wall,

said end wall having a needle receiving perforation therein and a slit from the upper edge of said end wall to said perforation to permit depressing of a needle down through the upper edge of said end wall to lodge the same in said perforation,

means for supporting such needle in said cradle at substantially the desired entrance angle to a vein of a patient,

means adjacent the open end of said trough for at least partially encircling such coupling and proximate tube end and resiliently resisting dislocation of such coupling and proximate tube end, said means including, resilient projections extending inwardly from said side walls at opposing locations on said side walls, and means for adjustably installing said cradle in position on a patient.

3. A device for stably anchoring a hollow surgical needle and coupled llow tube at the point of application of such needle to a patient, said device comprising a cradle of a length to receive the proximate ends of such needle, tube and the intermediate coupling which functionally connects such tube to such needle, said cradle including a bottom,

side walls extending upwardly from said bottom in spaced relationship to each other, to form a trou h, said spacing being such as to cause said walls to frictionally grip a needle coupling and proximate tube end when positioned in said trough,

a wall joining said side walls at one end of said trough to provide an end wall,

said end wall having a needle receiving perforation therein and a slit from the upper edge of said end wall to said perforation to permit depressing of a needle down through the upper edge of said end wall to lodge the same in said perforation,

means for supporting such needle in said cradle at substantially the desired entrance angle to a vein of a patient,

and means for adjustably installing said cradle in position on a patient, said means including a flexible tab extending from each side thereof adjacent the end wall, each said tab having a slot therethrough, and

a strap of elastic material frictionally passing through the slot in each of said tabs.

4. A device for stably anchoring a hollow surgical needle and coupled flow tube at the point of application 5 such needle to a patient, said device comprising a cradle of a length to receive the proximate ends of such needle, tube and the intermediate coupling which functionally connects such tube to such needle, said cradle including a bottom,

side walls extending upwardly from said bottom in spaced relationship to each other, to form a trough, said spacing being such as to cause said walls to frictionally grip a needle coupling and proximate tube end when positioned in said trough,

a wall joining said side Walls at one end of said trough to provide an end wall,

said end wall having a needle receiving perforation therein and a slit from the upper edge of said end wall to said perforation to permit depressing of a needle down through the upper edge of said end wall to lodge the same in said perforation,

means for supporting such needle in said cradle at substantially the desired entrance angle to a vein of a patient, said means comprising a portion of said bottom, adjacent the open end of said trough, of increased thickness,

means adjacent the open end of said trough for at least partially encircling such coupling and proximate tube end and resiliently resisting dislocation of such coupling and proximate tube end, said means including resilient projections extending inwardly from said side Walls at opposing locations on said side Walls,

and means for adjustably installing said cradle in position on a patient, said means including a flexible tab extending from each side thereof adjacent the end Wall, each said tab having a slot therethrough, and

a strap of elastic material frictionally passing throng the slot in each of said tabs.